We are bicycle commuters in the city of Fort Wayne, Indiana. This is our effort to raise awareness of bicycle commuters, encourage more people to get on their bikes, and identify issues pertaining to those of us who use a bicycle for transportation.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

3 foot law passed!

It is official!The Common Council of the City of Fort Wayne
voted unanimously to approve G-11-08-12, an ordinance amending Title 7,
Chapters 70, 71, 72, and 74 of the City of Fort Wayne Code of Laws.In short this ordinance codifies a number of
traffic laws with regard to transportation.

While there is a few big changes
like: making it legal to ride your bike on a sidewalk as long as you yield to
pedestrians many of us in the cycling community are excited about the section
regarding passing a cyclist.

SECTION 4. That Chapter 71, Title
7 of the City of Fort Wayne, Indiana Code of ordinances be amended as follows
to add:

§ 71.06 OPERATION
OF VEHICLES IN ROADWAYS WHERE BICYCLES

ARE PRESENT

(D) PASSING OF BICYCLES

The operator of a motor vehicle
passing a bicycle proceeding in the same direction on a highway, street, or
road shall leave a safe distance, but not less than three (3) feet, when
passing the bicycle, and shall maintain that distance until safely past the overtaken
bicycle.

We in the advocacy community have
been lobbying the Indiana State Legislature for years to create a Vulnerable Road Users Law.They have not.This last year the bill was not given a vote
in the Committee.

I would
like to thank Mayor Thomas Henry, Community Development Department, the
Ordinance Committee and the Fort Wayne Common Council for helping to create an environment within our great community that is friendly toward Bicycles.This is BIG.